How will I feel in the days following a C-section...?

[spur999]

Any advice and tips will be greatly received.
My partner seems to think I will be able to spend the day with him and the kids less than 24 hrs after the op... apparently other women are up and running immediately after so I have been accused of being a drama queen! this has sent my pregnancy hormones through the roof.
I had a natural birth last time and I was in pain from the stitches and was struggling with breastfeeding... Not in the mood to be observed by 2 kids all day - also I was dealing with new baby and nurses/drs etc. Please let me know what is realistic here...is it unreasonable to request some time to recover? Also, when is the best time for visitors...Thanks so much

[FrancesHaHa]

Chances are you may well be in hospital 24hours after the op. - I was in 2 days, 1 still using a catheter.

Whatever you do, please take it at your own pace. I tried to do too much too soon after a ECS - combination of painkillers masking the pain and DP not really understanding, and encouraging me to push myself too quickly. I was still in pain 8 months later, and even now get the odd twinge, 5 years later.

I'm sure there are few other times in life when people have full on surgery, and are expected to be up and about, on top of being sleep deprived.

[kiwiscantfly]

I had my first baby in the UK via ELCS and had two nights in hospital, came home to rest due to lack of sleep. I was shattered and mostly running on adrenaline. Second was born in NZ where I had two nights in hospital (private room this time not a ward, much more rest) and then two nights in a birth centre which is a bit like an old school convalescence home, private rooms and midwives on all. I really needed that time to recover, bond and establish breastfeeding. It was so good going to the "baby hotel" as we called it I'm doing it again next week for DC3. Long story short, even with a relatively pain free ELCS you'll still need plenty of recovery time. Take it easy, overdoing things will set you back.

[ColinFirthsGirth]

It may be different now but when I had my son by c-section I had to stay in for 5 days and acutally stayed in for 7 days. 24 hours after the operation I could still barely walk. I was in pain for 3 weeks. That was with a first baby, if I had had other kids I would have taken longer to recover I think. Your husband seriously needs a reality check! It is major surgery.

[galaxygirl45]

I've had 2 - I'd roughly say i took painkillers for the first 4 -5 days, and even then found lifting/moving things very awkward and the tiredness is overwhelming. Having major abdominal surgery and a newborn isn't easy, and try doing too much you'll pay the price! Visitors are fine in small doses but need to be reminded you've had surgery, I did find it pretty uncomfortable getting up and down from chairs etc as you feel like your stomach is going to explode through your stitches (it doesn't but its a weird feeling). They tell you no lifting or exercising for 6 weeks for good reason, and that's to let your body heal. I had lots of saltwater baths and took arnica tablets to help with healing but the best cure is rest, and lots of it.

[Bluecarrot]

Don't really remember the recovery from my first other than crippling back pain from previous injury that was worsened by pregnancy.
Second was a dream recovery. Off pain killers within 24 hours, walking easily etc. even did some laundry within 48 hours of birth ( only the gross stuff!) but as I also had a labour before the cs I was physically drained. I could have slept 15 hours a day easily and I was v quick to cry etc.
I'll be a single parent this time around but if I did have a partner to help out, if he expected me to do more than sleep, feed the baby and cuddle our kids, he'd have a good kick in the....

[Citizenerased123]

Hello OP,
I hope you're not getting too stressed about having a c- section (some of the posts above sound terrifying and I do feel very sorry for those that had a difficult time). I have had 2 c-sections (1 emergency and 1 elective) and I was fortunate and had no problems on either occasion. I was uncomfortable for the time after the c section when I was bed bound and had the catheter in, but as soon as the catheter came out, I was able to walk to the loo without any difficulty and could shower within 10 hours of the c section. I found that the scar wasn't that painful apart from when I coughed (and I had a chronic cough from a viral illness last time). What was really painful was the build up of gas in the bowel that occurs as a result of the surgery due to bowel stasis. I wish I had eaten a low residue diet in the 2 days before the procedure as that does help by all accounts. As soon as I could release the gas (TMI - sorry!) I felt so much better and had no problems mobilising around the ward and when I got home. I know plenty of other people who also had straightforward recoveries so hopefully you will too.

Of course, bearing in mind what your body will be going through, it is perfectly reasonable for you to take it easy and concentrate on you and your baby and not to have to deal with visitors. Only you will know what you feel up to once you have had the c section, so I wouldn't plan anything in advance.

PS I found the Snugglebundl extremely helpful post c-section as you can pick the baby up with one hand so it's easy to transfer them from their cot to you without any assistance and without getting out of bed.
www.snugglebundl.co.uk/?gclid=CjwKEAjw5cG8BRDQj_CNh9nwxTUSJAAHdX3fP3tl80F-rbP7K1scHQcb_HWCDtdC0wGfWJhabTpI8RoCqNDw_wcB

[spur999]

Thanks again for all the great advice. It's been very very helpful!

[Pjmaskswrecksmyhead]

I'm almost 5 weeks post 3rd c section OP and feel ALMOST back to normal (apart from 3 stone to shift ). However the 1st week was very tough going with 2 other DCS under 5. DH brought both DC to visit that afternoon for about a half hour (private room.) It was chaos and I cried when they left panicking about how I would cope at home. I asked to be kept in hospital a 3rd night but was turfed out! The day after I came home newborn DS had lost over 10% of birth weight. I realised I was trying to do it all with the other 2 and not sitting feeding all day long like you're supposed to on those early days. So between my mum and DH, the older 2 were shipped off outside with mum and for a sleepover at nanas. Baby and I went to bed for a day and night. His weight increased dramatically in 2 days and the binding time was amazing in a busy house. I just wasn't able to manage so soon after major surgery the pain is manageable but tough. I imagine it would he so much worse if you didn't look after yourself properly and take it so so easy in those early days. Best of luck

[Arborea]

@ Citizenerased what's a low residue diet? Can you give us a few examples of low residue food? I'm hoping for an ELCS this time: last time it followed 4 days eating manky hospital food after a failed induction, but all being well I'll be in more control of my eating choices beforehand and would like some pointers!

[Citizenerased123]

@Arborea, sorry for the delayed response. Having any abdominal surgery will cause the bowel muscle (which normally pushes digested food along it's length) into stasis, ie it stops moving temporarily and is then sluggish as a result of the morphine type drugs that you might receive. So the point of adjusting your diet pre-op is to try to avoid foods that wil clog up the gut as that will cause more pain when gas builds up and can't pass down the bowel. I would avoid very heavy foods like red meat and things that aren't so easily digestible like chicken skin and have lots of vegetables and higher fibre foods to try and make the bowel as clear as possible before the c section. Good luck with your c section!

[Cinnamon2013]

It's good that you posted here. Your partner needs (ie it is essential) to understand what it will be like for you after the operation.

I had a 'good' elective c-section (after a EMCS previously). I was so relieved it was better than the previous i kept telling my partner how good I felt. When we got home he turned down offers of help with our toddler and expected us to get on as usual, including with toddler. I was in a lot of pain still and also had a complicated regimes of pain-killers and blood-thinning injections to keep track of that was not compatible with caring for a toddler. Oh, and a baby!

I still carry some resentment that he didn't appreciate how really hard it was for me in the early weeks - but ultimately I should have expressed much more clearly how serious it was.

Saying you're a drama queen show he really doesn't understand. He needs to talk to your midwife or another professional. Don't ignore the issue.

Good luck.

[Nicolet123]

Hey, I had a caesarean with my first born when I was 18 years old. you will be feeling delicate afterwards scared you will burst your stiches. you wont be doing anything strenuous for a while not even turning to pick up baby.. you'll e really slow to walk up stairs and just walking in general.

you'll have to take it easy no running after kids so your partner will have to do some running around after you and the kids.